Nine Years
by latenightfangirl
Summary: Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails. AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing Update: Abandoned (unless I rewrite it, but meh)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:** _First Impressions_

* * *

Story: Nine Years

Written by: latenightfangirl

Summary: _Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails._ _AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing, pairings undecided_

Disclaimer: **I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does!**

* * *

Tsuna woke up with a fever. His nose was stuffed, his face flushed, and the _coughing._ Oh God, the coughing. It was horrible. It was dreadful. Tsuna _hated_ getting sick. He could barely go ten seconds without bending over in a coughing fit. This was _hell._ And Tsuna knew hell _very_ well. He met his fair share of traumatic experiences, and getting sick was definitely something to be wary of.

Well maybe he was exaggerating it. But it was still bad. When he was sick, all his senses got jumbled up… and he couldn't tell if that was just a splitting head ache or his intuition acting up again.

 _It's probably nothing important…_

Tsuna dragged himself out of his comfy, soft, _warm-_ No! Get a hold of yourself! He begrudgingly flopped his achy body down the stairs to make breakfast.

Tsuna pondered over making soup. On one hand, it would ease his throat of that horrible scratchy feeling- but on the other hand, he really wanted something sweet…

Another fit of coughs made the decision much easier.

 _Soup it is then._

Before Tsuna could get the pot ready the door bell rang, making his headache escalate a few more degrees.

He looked at the door. Then the pot. Then the door. And back to the pot.

Another splitting head ache incurred its _fearsome_ wrath on his head as the door bell rang _again._

Tsuna set the pot down on the counter and trudged his _horrifyingly tired_ body to the door.

"I'm coming," he rasped. He put his hand on the door knob and twisted it pulling the door open. He saw that no one was standing there, _is it a prank?_

Then he looked down and his eyes widened as far as they could in his sleepy state. Below, staring up at him in poorly concealed surprise, was a toddler in a _high-quality tailored suit_ and a _fedora, with a shiny yellow pacifier hanging from his neck-_

" _Primo?"_

"A-arcobaleno," Tsuna stuttered out. "ARCOBALENO?!" Tsuna fell on his behind _(painfully, if I might add)_ , and proceeded to screech like a banshee. Or tried. It was more of a hissed out, "hiiiiie!"

* * *

Reborn waited patiently at the door step for the door to be answered.

His new student was detailed as, _"has horrible grades, no friends, weak, and known as 'Dame-Tsuna' by his classmates."_

The picture that was included was a little outdated and not of the best quality. It was blurry, as if the boy was moving when it was taken. From what Reborn could make out, he has caramel brown hair and chest nut brown eyes. He has a short stature in his physical data, and-

 _How much longer is he going to make me wait?_

Reborn pressed the door bell again and waited. He heard a quiet, _"I'm coming,"_ from inside. It was his student, Sawada Tsunayoshi. His voice sounded raspy. It was probably from a cold…

Reborn heard the door knob twist and it opened to reveal a sight Reborn was _not_ prepared for.

Standing before him was the carbon copy of _Vongola Primo._

The blonde hair in the exact cut sticking up _naturally,_ and his sky blue eyes which drifted down to Reborn.

The word slipped of his tongue before he knew it,

" _Primo."_

The blonde's eyes were on the Sun Arcobaleno Pacifier as he stuttered out, "A-arcobaleno." This brought Reborn back to reality. He had lost his cool.

"ARCOBALENO?!" The blonde fell on rump unsophisticatedly. He then let out a sound similar to a screech, but quieter and raspier. Definitely a cold. His face was flush. There was tiny beads of sweat on his forehead, and his chestnut eyes were hazed over. _Chestnut?_

 _That's right. This is Sawada Tsunayoshi, future Vongola Decimo. But he's not supposed to know about the mafia, let alone the Arcobaleno._

"Ciaossu," Reborn began, "I'm the home tutor."

* * *

"Home tutor?"

"I won't repeat myself."

"Oh," Tsuna blinked. He wheezed another fit of _absurdly annoying_ coughs. He stood up slowly as not to lose his balance, then brushed off his pajama pants. "Well, come on in. I was about to make soup because of my cold, as you can see, but I can make some drinks as well." He waved his hand in a motion signally Reborn to enter, which he took.

Reborn sat at the kitchen table as he observed his _student._

' _Is he an imposter? A spy from another Famiglia?'_ Reborn kept his calculating stare on his _student_ as he finished the last preparations of the meal.

Tsuna sat his bowl of hot, _delicious-_ Focus. Focus, focus, focus…

He placed the cup of espresso in front of Reborn before settling down in his own chair across from him. Reborn eyed the cup warily. Tsuna sighed.

"I assure you, it's not poisoned." Reborn swiftly switched his glare from the drink to Tsuna.

"Who are you?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi," Tsuna took a sip from the bowl of soup. "But you can call me Tsuna."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:** _Surprises_

* * *

Story: Nine Years

Written by: latenightfangirl

Summary: _Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails._ _AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing, pairings undecided_

Disclaimer: **I don't own Katekyou Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does!**

Underlined words: In Italian

* * *

" _Sawada Tsunayoshi," Tsuna took a sip from the bowl of soup. "But you can call me Tsuna."_

* * *

"I'm sorry about earlier," Tsuna said as he place the spoon back in the bowl of soup. "I kind of… Uh, _freaked out._ " Tsuna scratched his hair, embarrassed. "As you can see, I'm not in the best of health today..."

"That doesn't explain why you recognized me as an _Arcobaleno_ ," Reborn refuted. "Sawada Tsunayoshi is supposed to have no connections to the mafia. And he is supposed to have _brown_ hair not _blonde_."

Tsuna took another sip of the soup. "Well I _did_ have brown hair, but I was out in the sun so much it turned blonde. Probably from Iemitsu's genetics."

Reborn's gaze didn't waver. "And why were you outside so much? Sawada Tsunayoshi has no friends and is terrible at sports."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "That's kind of offensive. And for your information, I was working. I needed money for groceries and the like." _This is getting off to a rough start._ "Look, Reborn, I don't want to get on your bad side, it seems we just have some misunderstandings here." Tsuna put his hands out in front of him to show he meant no harm.

Reborn's onyx eyes narrowed. "I never told you my name," he said as he cocked a green pistol. Tsuna visibly tensed.

"Look, just let me explain," he said slowly. He coughed a few times, trying to stifle them before he was shot by the baby.

"Why should I," Reborn asked. "I have suspicions that you are not Sawada Tsunayoshi." Reborn flicked off the safety. But before things could get any worse, Leon began to transform back into a chameleon and leapt off Reborn's hand. Leon landed on Tsuna's head and patted around a bit before he settled into a comfortable spot. If Reborn was surprised, he certainly didn't show it.

Tsuna bit his lip. "Um… Is this okay?" He peered over at Reborn who was once again looking speculatively at his espresso.

"If Leon will disobey my orders to protect you, then I have no reason to doubt that you are not a bad guy," he said as he tentatively took a sip of the drink. _This is amazing…_

Tsuna fidgeted slightly. "H-how's the drink?" Reborn could obviously tell that he was nervous.

"It's okay," he said.

Tsuna brightened up. "Really?!" He oozed off rays of light he was so ecstatic. _Reborn actually liked it!_

"I already said that I don't repeat myself."

Tsuna tilted his head. "But didn't you repeat yourself just now?"

Reborn's grip on the cup tightened. He was sending off a killing vibe that would terrify any living predator on Earth.

Tsuna waved his hand in the air. "I'm kidding, kidding!" He then sneezed and grabbed a tissue to wipe his nose. "Guess I shouldn't go to school today," he muttered while glancing at the clock.

"No student of mine skips school," said Reborn.

Tsuna fixed his eyes on Reborn's pitch black one's. "I'm not _skipping,_ I'm sick!" He huffed. "Anyways, I need to clear up these misunderstandings it seems." Tsuna got up to pour out his half-finished soup in the sink. He continued to lather and rinse the dish in soap and hot water. Mid way through he set down the bowl to have _yet another_ coughing fit, then resumed.

"So, I'll start out by saying that I already know about the mafia."

Reborn kept an apathetic look. He knew better than to let the boy catch him off guard _twice._

"I found out that Iemitsu, my father, was part of the mafia when I was kidnapped by two mafioso." Tsuna rinsed of the remaining soap and began to dry the bowl using a towel from the counter. "I didn't get too much information from that, so once I escaped and had them arrested I did some research on my own. That's why I know about the Arcobaleno and you, Reborn." Tsuna turned around to face Reborn after placing the dish back to its proper place. "If you're wondering about how much I know, I know about my heritage, Vongola, flames, and that's about it," he said as he gazed into Reborn's endless pits of eyes. _Scary._

Before Reborn could question him further Tsuna walked towards the stairs and stopped at the base. "If you need me, I'll be upstairs sleeping in my room. I took some cold medicine so I should be feeling better in a few hours. We can chat then, _Ciao_ ," he said as trudged up the stairs. Reborn stood motionless at the spot he had stayed throughout the whole conversation. He didn't utter a word. Blood lust began to radiate off Reborn in thick waves. _Tsuna dominated the entire conversation…_ Reborn clenched his fist tighter. _Damn that idiot. I'll definitely kill Iemitsu for this._

Tsuna, in the safety of his room, chuckled lightly as he sat on his bed.

 _It's going to be fun messing with Reborn._

* * *

" _You'll be filling me in on this 'fun' right, my dear Tuna-chan?"_

" _I asked you to stop calling me that. And yea, of course I will. It's going to be hilarious." Tsuna chuckled. He then broke out into one a smile as bright as the sun. "And guess what? He complimented my cooking! I'm so happy!"_

 _A sigh could be heard. "I compliment your food all the time, Tuna-chan. Do you not appreciate my compliments?"_

" _Of course I do," Tsuna beamed. "But I heard Reborn is very picky about his coffee… and that he barely ever says anything even_ remotely _close to compliments!"_

" _I know you respect the hitman, Tsuna dear, but you need to control yourself."_

 _Taking in a deep breath, Tsuna held it there, then let it out slowly. "You're right. I can't help that I'm letting my guard down around him though… I can't seem to keep my appearance up while I'm around him. I was even stuttering like my old self… maybe it's because of the cold?" Tsuna sighed._

" _I hope so, tuna-chan."_

" _I've been telling you for the past two and a half years now to stop calling me that!"_

" _Kufufufu, my bad, tuna-chan."_

 _Tsuna huffed indignantly._

" _Good night_ _, Tsuna dear."_

* * *

Author's notes:

I'm so happy that so many people actually liked my story! I wasn't expecting any feed back, really.

I didn't post any of the information I wanted to say on the last chapter because I forgot so I'll post it here.

 _This is an AU, so a lot of things will be changed. This means characters will be OOC at times as well._

I have some ideas planned out for the plot, but I'm still working out the kinks. I'm kind of winging this story since the plot isn't completely set in stone so far. I have most of the backstories and future character introductions planned out… I just hope it all works out the way I'm imagining it.

I'll try to answer as many questions as I can! And constructive criticism is welcomed~!

 **Updates will be sporadic, maybe multiple chapters in a day or once a week, depending on if I have writer's block or not.**

 **It also depends on if I can get to my computer or not since I use that to upload my new chapters…**

I hope I'm not forgetting to mention anything… if I am I will put it in the next author's note :)

 _Lots of love~_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:** _Mysterious Crates and Letters_

* * *

Story: Nine Years

Written by: latenightfangirl

Summary: _Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails. AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing, pairings undecided_

Disclaimer: **I don't own Katekyou Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does!**

Underlined words: In Italian

* * *

Reborn was naturally a curious person. He liked to know everything about his student- things that even _they_ didn't know.

But Tsuna was different.

When he thought he knew everything about him there would be a surprise waiting for him.

And today, this surprise came in the form of a crate.

* * *

" _I'm going to school, Reborn," Tsuna said as he grabbed his bag and lunch. He slipped on his shoes and threw open the door, only to be blocked by a large wooden crate in his path._

 _Reborn eyed the crate from his standpoint. Was it some sort of time bomb sent by an enemy Family? Could it be a threat to his student, this early into the game? He had just gotten here, and no one should know of the Decimo-in-training's whereabouts._

 _Tsuna, not even slightly surprised by the box, turned to face Reborn and said, "You were probably planning to follow me to school but can you watch after this for me while I'm gone?" Tsuna patted the crate with his free hand._

" _The only thing is…" Tsuna looked down at the box with a wary expression. "You can't look inside it no matter what, okay?" Tsuna looked Reborn straight in the eyes. "This contains something_ very _important in it. So please keep an eye on it for me."_

" _Of course I will,_ Tsuna," _Reborn emphasized his name. "I wouldn't be the greatest hitman in the world if I couldn't show some self restraint," he said as he stroked Leon._

 _Tsuna moved the crate into the house and picked up his belongings once more. "Alright then, I'm off!" Tsuna ran off in a hurry towards Namimori Middle._

Bait planted… Now he just had to wait.

* * *

The crate was impenetrable. Reborn tried opening it like any normal crate but it wouldn't budge. Then he began to use more… _extreme_ tactics.

Explosives, chainsaws, Leon mallets, you name it.

But he couldn't even _scratch_ it _._ For the past hour he had been shooting at the damned box. _What kind of joke was this?_

* * *

"Who's the poor soul this time?"

"What?"

"Who's the poor soul that's got you _cackling_ like a mad man," Takeshi asked. Tsuna and him were walking to school like normal.

Tsuna wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh, _that_ ," he said. "Well, remember how I mentioned Reborn was staying with me now?" Takeshi nodded. " _Well~,"_ Tsunacupped his cheek with his hand. "I may have decided to have some _fun_ with him."

"Is that safe?" Takeshi eyed Tsuna worriedly. Tsuna's eyes trailed up to the bright blue sky above them. The stunning blue was reflected in his eyes as the wind caressed his blonde hair. Truly a carbon copy of Primo.

"I've got it under control," he reassured. "He's just so easy to tease, is all." Tsuna's face took on a contemplating look. "You should come over today! I can introduce you to him," he said.

Takeshi smiled brightly. "That'd be awesome! Should I leave Shigure Kintoki?" Tsuna shook his head. Takeshi frowned. "But isn't Reborn-," Takeshi didn't finish his sentence as Tsuna waved it off.

"It'll be fine, Takeshi," he said. "After all, I am introducing you as my _Rain Guardian_."

* * *

When Tsuna came in through the door his eyes were met with the sight of Reborn standing on a miniature jackhammer, about to attempt his billionth try to get the crate open.

"Oh, hey Reborn," he said. _Did you have fun while I was gone?_

Tsuna motioned for Takeshi to follow him. "I want to introduce you to my friend, Takeshi."

Reborn put away the jackhammer and construction worker outfit, _What the hell?_

"Ciaossu," he said. Reborn studied Takeshi, who was sporting a stunning grin. He carried Shigure Kintoki, a katana, strapped to his back. He had a dangerous but calming air about him. _A potential Famiglia member?_

"He's my rain guardian," Tsuna said, interrupted Reborn's thoughts. "Did you like the crate? It's a great stress reliever, right?" Tsuna teased. If Reborn was pissed, _because he definitely is_ , he didn't show it. Tsuna walked over to the crate and put his hand on it.

"Oh," Takeshi said, "is that from…?"

"Yea."

"From who?" Reborn hated being left out of the loop.

Tsuna drummed his finger on the crate. "From a friend of mine," he said. "Let me open it." Tsuna channeled some of his sky flames into his hand, causing the lid to the crate to pop off its hinges. Lifting the lid up, Tsuna reached in and pulled out a bag of marshmallows. Inside the crate were dozens of other bags.

"Marshmallows," Reborn clarified. "You use an indestructible crate that can only be opened by using sky flames to hold _marshmallows_?" His face was shadowed underneath his fedora. Reborn was _seething_ mad. _Was this the oh-so important thing he had to watch? Marshmallows?!_

"Not just any marshmallows, Reborn~" Tsuna replied. "These are a very expensive brand from Italy which are _indescribably_ delicious!" He was inwardly laughing at Reborn's reactions. _This is just- Oh God, this is hilarious. It's so hard to keep a straight face on._

On the other hand, Takeshi was beginning to pity Reborn. Luckily Reborn didn't notice Takeshi, or else he would have soon been pitying himself for even _thinking_ of pitying the merciless Reborn.

"Well, I guess that was a _little_ mean," Tsuna began. "They really are important to me though… I guess I can give you the crate as an apology."

"I have no need for it."

"Eh? But it would really help with your anger issues." Reborn's menacing glare was enough to make Tsuna regret everything. _Maybe_. You can't blame him! It really was funny!

Being forcefully dragged out of his thoughts by Reborn's increasing bloodlust, he shivered. _Oh shit._ Laughing awkwardly, he put his hands up. "L-look Re-Reborn? I was joking, okay? I didn't mean it. So put down the… Wait- Don't you even _dare_ hit me with that! Reborn!"

* * *

"You okay, Tsuna?"

Tsuna looked at the many bruises that littered his arms, legs, hell, his whole body! _I'm going to be so sore in the morning…_

"Yea I'm good," he sighed. After having a _talk_ with Reborn, they had moved upstairs to Tsuna's room.

Tsuna fished his hand around in his pocket until found what he wanted. He pulled out a fancy white envelope addressed to _'Tsuna-chan~'._

Inside the envelope was a letter with beautiful Italian written on it.

' _Dear Tsuna-chan,_

 _Here's your regular shipment! I hope they're as delicious as always~_

 _Enma-kun wanted to say hi! He said that his Famiglia's giving him lot's of trouble again. It's pretty funny~_

 _How are you doing? I'm doing fine like always~ Although Shou-chan has been getting onto me for not doing my paperwork… Why don't you come visit me, Tsuna-chan~? I'm so lonely~!_

 _We could have a sleepover and share gossip just like old times, ne? And you could visit your other friends, too! Although, then you would have to skip school, and that would make your precious birdie mad, wouldn't it?_

 _Which reminds me, I heard that you were having 'fun' with Reborn~_

 _That pineapple really did rub off you, huh? I guess it's not all that bad… Your sadistic side is so cute! Don't be too harsh on him, ne?_

 _Well I've got to go, Shou-chan is scolding me for something again~_

 _Good luck~!_

 _Your friend,_

 _Byakuran~_

 _P.S._

 _I might be visiting soon! I won't say when because I know you like surprises~!'_

Tsuna stared blankly at the letter. _Great._

* * *

" _So Byakuran is going to be visiting," Mukuro stated._

 _Tsuna covered his face with his hand. This was just too stressful._

" _I don't even know when he's supposed to show up," he complained. "It's not a problem, but…"_

" _Oya? It's not?" A smirk was plastered on his face as he added, "Then you wouldn't mind if I came and visited as well, right Tuna-chan?"_

" _What?! No! I mean yes, I mean…" Tsuna mentally groaned, while he outwardly sighed._

 _Mukuro let out his trademark laughter. Which stopped short as a serious look adorned his face. "I'm actually very serious about visiting, though, Tsuna-chan. I recently met a talented young girl in the dreamscape. She seems to live in Japan, like you, and has a very_ 'interesting' _family," he said. Tsuna perked up at this._

" _Tell me more."_

* * *

Extra:

Reborn couldn't believe it. Tsuna had once _again_ dominated the conversation. He easily switched topics after just _casually_ mentioning that he had already decided on a Rain Guardian.

 _Although, he didn't make that bad of a choice…_

But more importantly, Reborn was pissed. Again. Keyword: _Again._

This _'student'_ of his was playing with him! Him! Reborn, the world's greatest hitman! He would _not_ stand for this.

But he couldn't just rush in. He needed to calm down and think.

 _His student was capable of glossing over important information._

If he didn't want Reborn to know, he would lead the conversation in a different direction. He even used Reborn's emotions against him. But next time would be different…

 _And he would start by finding out who this 'friend of his' was._

* * *

Author's note:

Here's the new chapter! Sorry there was no update yesterday. I wasn't feeling very well and couldn't focus. So yea, sorry 'bout that.

I'm going to try and mix in some flashback chapters every now and then too. _Hint hint: next chapter._

And I'm sorry, I said I would update 2-3 times a day but for now I'll just do one a day until I get used to this.

I would like to thank everyone for the reviews, follows, and favorites once again~

They make me so happy!

If you spot any mistakes, I'm sorry! I check over the chapters about three times and edit them a lot before publishing and sometimes I miss some. If you see anything you want me to fix, just tell me~!

 _(And I'll make the author notes shorter, I'm sorry I talk a lot…)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:** _Realizations, Decisions, and a Smile_

* * *

Story: Nine Years

Written by: latenightfangirl

Summary: _Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails. AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing, pairings undecided_

Disclaimer: **I don't own Katekyou Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does!**

* * *

When Tsuna was four he realized that his mother wasn't a perfect person.

Yes, she was a great mother. She was oblivious, but one of the sweetest and most loving people in existence. And her cooking was _heavenly._ That doesn't even _begin_ to describe it. But that's another matter for another day.

Now, every child, at some point or another, sees their parent as a perfect person. A majority, anyways.

The reason for this is because they depend on their parents. As a child, their parents feed them, dress them, and care for them. Most parents do, at least. There are some parents who neglect and abuse their children. But Sawada Nana was not one of those parents. She cared for her child just as much as any other parent. Maybe even more.

And Tsuna, like most kids his age, saw his mother as a perfect person. A perfect person who could do anything and was always strong. His innocent mind couldn't wrap around the fact that she was once a child, too, and was just as real as him.

But that changed one night. He realized that she was weak, too. That his mother wasn't a perfect person. She was _far_ from it.

She was a broken person.

* * *

It was late at night when Tsuna got up to use the restroom. But before he could reach the bathroom, he heard something.

Tsuna, being the scaredy-cat he is, began to tremble.

 _Is it a bad person like in those scary movies? Have they come to take me away?! No! I don't want that!_

Poor little Tsuna's eyes began to water, and he just barely kept them from overflowing and streaming down his face. He was then stricken by another devastating thought.

 _What about Mamma? What's going to happen to her? Is she going to be hurt, too? No. No. No. I can't let that happen!_

Tsuna gathered his resolve and stood at the top of the stairs listening. It was faint, but knew what it was. _Crying._

 _His mamma was crying._

He had planned on going to her and comforting her, but another whispered sob stopped him in his tracks.

 _Iemitsu._

Sitting down on the stairs, Tsuna continued to quietly listen. He knew that name. It was his father, apparently. Tsuna's father was a blurry face with blonde hair. Someone who carried the stench of alcohol with him through the house. Although that wasn't often since he was never at the house. He was always working. That's what he knew about his father.

Another muffled sob.

Tsuna stood up silently, _wanting so badly, so, so badly,_ to just go and comfort her. And that's what he had planned to do. But something stopped him. Again.

But it wasn't a hushed cry that stopped him. No, it was his own traitorous mind. It whispered to him, in harsh voices, _"You're not the one she needs."_ This had caused him to stop. It continued. _"That man… She wants that man to comfort her, not you. You're not enough."_ Tsuna, a four year old, didn't want to believe this. His mamma loved him! So of course he could make her feel better, _right?_

" _No…"_ it hissed. _"If you go down there, she'll put on a smile and pretend everything's okay. And that will only hurt her more."_

 _I don't want to hurt mamma! But I also don't want to see her like this… She sounds so_ broken.

" _But that's just it… She's_ been _broken. For a very long time,"_ the voice said.

" _And you didn't even notice."_

* * *

It felt like hours before Tsuna got up and moved back to his room. It was so hard to just pick himself up. His legs were heavy and refused to listen. His whole body was rejecting him.

When he hauled himself back into his bed, he couldn't help but repeat the words back to himself…

" _I didn't even notice."_

He mulled over this in the dark. The dreadful feeling in his chest was eating him alive. _He was a horrible person._

 _He hadn't even realized his own mother was in so much pain, and she- she was faking a smile for_ him! _Him, of all people! The person who should have been able to see trough her lies, her mask! Him, her no-good child… He was no-good… since what kind of child other than a no-good one would do something like that?_

The tears began to spill from his eyes. They had reached their limit and couldn't be held back any longer. _No!_

Tsuna wiped the tears from his cheeks with his small fists. _He can't cry!_

 _Not anymore… I'll be strong. I'll be strong for mamma. Since I'm not the one who can take away her pain, I'll show her my comfort in a different way._

 _That if she can be strong and smile for him… He'll smile for her._

* * *

 _A resolve that had arisen from a mere twist in fate…_

 _An accident which never occurred…_

 _How much can be changed from just an insignificant decision of a four year old?_

 _A lot, it seems._

* * *

Author's note:

The first of many flashback chapters! (Sorry, this was one of my shortest chapters yet... but it'll be a double update with the next chapter~)

So how was it? Be honest. I love feedback, but I love my readers more~!

 _Cheesy, I know…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:** _Reality_

* * *

Story: Nine Years

Written by: latenightfangirl

Summary: _Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails._ _AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing, pairings undecided_

Disclaimer: **I don't own Katekyou Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does!**

* * *

What he did to deserve this, he wasn't quite sure. Tsuna, five years old, was sitting in a wooden chair. His feet dangled above the floor. Ropes bound his hands in a sloppy manner. He was shaking like he was in the middle of a blizzard naked.

Well, he had every right to be terrified.

There were two other men in the room. Both wore smug looks as they conversed. Tsuna couldn't understand most of what they were saying, but there were a few things he did, and those words stood out above the rest.

 _Mafia._

Tsuna knew what the mafia was. Which was quite surprising since he was only five. But those scary movies had really left a mark on him.

The mafia, a crime organization.

 _They kill people. They kidnap children. They're bad people._

Then there was the other thing that stood out.

 _Sawada Iemitsu._

The man who hurt his mother, who _broke her. Broke her in a way Tsuna couldn't help her…_

 _He must have noticed what he was doing, so why?! Only he could fix her, but he did nothing._

 _And so she stayed broken._

Tsuna did not like his father one bit. But Tsuna was not a hateful person despite what life may throw at him. He didn't like violence. He didn't like killing. No, he hated it. He was not a hateful person. Except when it came to the subject of murder. Tsuna _hated_ hurting people, or seeing them hurt.

He especially hated seeing his mother hurt. Such a kind, loving person. She didn't deserve it. No one did.

 _His mamma. Would she be hurt if he didn't come home? Would she think he abandoned her too, just like his father?_

 _He doesn't want that. Not at all. He wants to go home. He wants to hear her say, "Welcome home, Tsu-kun!" Her voice so cheerful and pleasant… although it's all just an act to hide her pain. Her suffering. Her agony._

His chest constricted. His eyes began to cloud over… tears began to form.

 _No… I can't cry. I have to be strong for mamma. I have to go home._

His eyes flashed orange. He gathered his resolve…

 _I will make it out of here with my dying will._

* * *

With a new-found clarity to his thoughts, Tsuna judged his surroundings. He was in an abandoned warehouse with two kidnappers. _Great._

On a table no more than three feet from Tsuna was a large container. Written on it was:

" _Dangerous: Knock-out gas"_

However, to Tsuna's disappointment, he could not read. But his gut told him that whatever was in it, it was _definitely_ what put him to sleep. Not that he could remember how he was knocked out exactly. Everything before he woke up is more or less a blur.

Undoing his ropes _(more like just slipping them off)_ , Tsuna silently reached for the container.

Knocking out the kidnappers was easier than he expected. _And he was just a five year old._

Not wanting to just leave them there, _because what if they followed him home and got mamma?_ Tsuna shook his head. He won't let that happen. He took the rope he found lying around and tied them up _correctly._ He then proceeded to give an anonymous tip to the police that some bad men were seen around that area.

 _I can finally go home now._

* * *

When Tsuna got home he went straight to his bedroom. It seemed his mother hadn't suspected anything, thinking he had gone out to play. He hadn't been gone long, maybe just a few hours at the most. Tsuna had just smiled at her in response to her obliviousness.

He couldn't tell her.

He just couldn't put her through more pain.

In his bedroom he collapsed in a puddle of emotions. He was scared. He was _terrified._

But more than anything, he was _tired._

Everything was just so much scarier. So much _realer._

 _His father was in the mafia._

 _He had been kidnapped._

 _And he had actually made it out alive._

Tsuna was just glad he wouldn't have to go through that again.

But life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: '** _Extreme' Rumors Spread Fast_

* * *

Story: Nine Years

Written by: latenightfangirl

Summary: _Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails._ _AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing, pairings undecided_

Disclaimer: **I don't own Katekyou Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does!**

* * *

Tsuna was walking to school with Reborn in his arms, _unbelievable as it is,_ when he ran into Ryohei. He was running his daily sprint like always as he spotted Tsuna.

"TSUNA!"

Said boy turned to Ryohei. "Onii-san," he said. "How are you doing?"

"EXTREMELY good," he yelled. "And who's that?" Ryohei rudely pointed at Reborn. Tsuna looked down at Reborn and a strange gleam entered his eyes.

"Oh, you mean him," he said pensively. "Onii-san, meet Reborn, my son."

Ryohei stopped. Everything was silent for what felt like a _very_ long time. Finally, something seemed to click in Ryohei's head and he yelled, "WHAT?"

"He's my son," Tsuna repeated.

Ryohei took a deep breath. "I HAVE TO TELL KYOKO THE EXTREME NEWS, RIGHT NOW!" He ran off towards Namimori Middle School faster than ever.

"Wait, onii-san! I was joking!" But it was too late.

Tsuna just looked down at Reborn and smirked. "You want to stick around for the fun?" Reborn seemed to understand his hidden meaning as he tugged on his fedora. Both were smirking, with obviously not-good intentions.

* * *

 _Kyoko and Hana_

"Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko ran up to Tsuna as he entered the classroom. Class had yet to begin, and the students were chatting amongst themselves.

"Kyoko," he bowed his head in greeting. "How are you today? Is everything well?"

"Onii-chan told me-," she inhaled sharply. Her eyes were fixed on Reborn, still situated in Tsuna's arms. "Is that… Him?"

"Hmm? Yes, this is Reborn."

She gawked at Tsuna. "So it was true?!" This garnered the attention of the other students. Kyoko blushed, embarrassed at her sudden outburst. She lowered her voice to a whisper and continued, "Is that really your son, Tsuna-kun?"

Tsuna chuckled. "Of course not, Kyoko. I was just messing with onii-chan again," he corrected good mannerly. He then looked around the classroom, confusion clear on his face. "Where is Hana?"

"Over here," Hana said. She was hiding behind the door of the classroom.

"Oh that's right, you don't like kids," Tsuna said as he turned to face her.

Hana glared at Tsuna. "I have an _allergy,_ Tsuna," she said. "But yes, I do detest them. Even if it's your child, Tsuna, _as tolerable as you are,_ I don't want them anywhere near me."

"Oh, that rumor was just a joke, Hana. But you probably didn't believe it anyways, did you?"

"Of course not."

Tsuna smiled. It was his one-and-only 'sunshine smile' reserved for his friends. Reborn, seeing he couldn't get anything more from the conversation ( _he had been analyzing the two girls and Tsuna's interactions carefully)_ , moved a bit in Tsuna's embrace. Tsuna noticed this and let Reborn go. He proceeded to disappear into a infant-sized tunnel that appeared from out of no where.

 _I'm not going to question that._

* * *

 _Haru_

"TSUNA-SAN! PLEASE WAIT!"

Haru sped up her pace to catch Tsuna. She had to know if the rumor was true! If it was then…

"Haru? What's wrong?"

"Tsuna-san! Haru heard that you have a son, is it true?!" Haru was panting heavily. She had ran all the way to where she suspected Tsuna was when she had heard the _'EXTREME'_ news.

Haru then noticed that Tsuna was carrying something. At a closer look, she realized it was a toddler.

"Hahi! It _was_ true!"

"Haru, let me explain," Tsuna started. But Haru wasn't listening. She was cooing over how cute Reborn was and if she could hug him.

"Haru," he said. "Reborn isn't my child. I was just messing with onii-san again."

Devastated eyes peered up at Tsuna. "So it's not true? Haru can't play with Reborn-chan now?" Her eyes began to water. She sniffled.

"Haru, wait-," Haru started crying. _More like bawling her eyes out and screaming bloody murder…_

Tsuna sighed. He then handed her a handkerchief and began again. "Haru, of course you can play with Reborn." Reborn glared at Tsuna. _Too bad, Reborn._

"Really? Thank you so much, Tsuna-san! You're a lifesaver!" Her tears were no where in sight.

 _This is getting out of hand… How many people heard about this? I'm just glad Takeshi skipped school to help his Dad at the restaurant today..._

* * *

 _?_

Tsuna dashed down the stairs. "I'm coming," he yelled. He opened the door, curious as to who-

" _Omnivore."_

Tsuna paled.

"Where is your so-called brood?" Hibari Kyoya stood at the door in all his menacing glory, _waiting._

 _Oh god, oh god, oh god. What should I say? Should I tell him it was just a joke? He'll kill me!_

"Dame-Tsuna, who's at the door?"

" _Reborn,"_ Tsuna hissed, _"I told you to not call me that."_

Reborn perched himself on Tsuna's shoulder. "I don't follow orders, Dame-Tsuna," he said. "And you're acting like a coward."

True to Reborn's word, _since when is he ever wrong?_ Tsuna realized that, _yes_ , he was acting like a coward.

 _Oh god. I forgot about Kyoya-san._

Tsuna's attention was drawn back to Hibari as he heard a grunt from said prefect.

"I approve."

 _What._

Before Tsuna could voice his complaints, Hibari had disappeared.

 _How does he do that?!_

* * *

…

"Reborn," Tsuna started, "would you like to… play a _game_?"

"What kind of game?" Reborn was honestly curious. He was a curious man after all. But he was also suspicious, he wasn't sure what to expect from Tsuna.

Tsuna hummed softly. "Well, let's play a game to see if you can find my guardians. You've already met Takeshi, onii-san, and Kyoya-san."

This peeked Reborn's interest. "So the Sasagawa boy is your Sun Guardian? And the other from earlier, Hibari Kyoya, is your Cloud Guardian?"

Tsuna nodded. "I've already picked all of my guardians. And you don't have to worry, they're all capable, and perfectly suited for their positions."

Reborn thought on the offer. "And if I win?"

"Just a game. No win or loss," _except for your pride._

"I accept your challenge, only because I know that I'll win."

 _We'll see about that._

* * *

Extra:

Reborn had tried to find out who had sent the crate of marshmallows. But even Vongola's best couldn't find this 'friend'.

This made Reborn _very_ curious. But his pride wouldn't let him ask Tsuna. No, he would find out on his own. And Reborn, the world's greatest hitman, _never_ makes mistakes.

* * *

Author's note:

I don't know what it is about this chapter, but if felt off when I was writing it. Tell me what you think~

I promise the next chapter will better! I have it typed out and ready to go, but I won't post it until tomorrow (I like to have aback-up chapter for if I get lazy). It's written a lot better than this one in my opinion... but it's also much more depressing.

And thank you everyone for the follows, favorites, and reviews! Every time I get a review or email with a fave/follow, I just get so excited! You can ask my friends, I turn into a blubbering mess when it happens. Not a pretty sight.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:** _The Strong Devour the Weak_

* * *

Story: Nine Years

Written by: latenightfangirl

Summary: _Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails. AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing_

Disclaimer: **I don't own Katekyou Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does!**

 **Warning: There is gore at the end of this chapter. I'm pretty unfazed by gore myself, so I can't tell if it's really bad or not.**

* * *

People are cruel. Tsuna knew this quite well, since he was constantly kidnapped. Yes, the kidnapping continued. It was a good thing he only got incompetent kidnappers. And it wasn't like it was everyday, no, just every once in a while. A lot more than normal people would be kidnapped, however.

Normal. Tsuna wasn't normal. He was the son of a mafioso. A mafioso who never came home, and when he did, he drunk until he couldn't see straight. Often times he would offer a drink to Tsuna. Tsuna learned the hard way not to accept drinks from strangers. Because in his eyes, his father was a stranger. But he couldn't hate him. He tried to understand. He really did. His father was in the mafia, so Tsuna suspected that maybe he was trying to protect them. By not coming home, enemies couldn't find them. But Tsuna may have been being a little bit optimistic about it, in the end.

Onto the original topic, _people are cruel._

Cruelty. Tsuna realized there is more than one type.

There's one for self gain. Like his kidnappings. They all wanted something, and would use him to get it. Even if it hurt him in the process.

Then there's the other cruelty he learned. The cruelty of his peers. Humiliation. Bullying. It's a form of self gain, in a way.

Because Tsuna wasn't good in sports, his studies, or anything really, he was bullied. He was called 'Dame-Tsuna', or 'useless Tsuna'. He was useless. He was clumsy and stupid and just plain _useless_.

But six year olds couldn't do much harm, unlike his _lovely_ kidnappers. They could trash his notebooks, steal his crayons, break his possessions, and even call him names. Well, the best names children could come up with.

It's not like they were tying him up, drugging him, and interrogating him. Interrogating the best they could with their broken Japanese. Idiots, really.

Back to the bullying.

No one had tried to hit him. Nope, nothing physical. But psychologically he was being maimed. _Damn,_ those six year olds could be mean!

But he wasn't going to cry. No, he was strong. Strong like his mamma.

 _I won't let them get to me._

"Oi! Dame-Tsuna!" A bully he didn't know the name of came up to him. "Why do you still carry your notes with you? It's not like it'll make a difference! You're Dame-Tsuna after all!" A chorus of laughter erupted from the group.

"That's right," another said, "he's useless! Can't do anything right! I bet his parents hate having such a _disappointment_ in their family!" More laughter.

The original bully spoke up. "That's not true," he said. His friends looked at him quizzically. "Because _Dame-Tsuna_ here, our little _disappointment_ , only has one parent! His father left him because he's so useless!"

This, now this, hit Tsuna _hard._ Harder than any punch, stab, or physical wound he had ever received. Which were a lot.

But he couldn't cry. He was strong. He-

 _Was he strong?_

He was strong. For his mama, he would be strong. Tsuna couldn't hurt them though. No, he could never hurt anyone. He couldn't say anything back, he couldn't refute their claims…

"T-that's not t-true…"

…

 _Ah, I couldn't stop myself after all._

One of the bullies sneered at him. "What'd ya say? I couldn't hear ya. Speak up, Dame-Tsuna."

"I said, that's n-not true."

"Oh, so you have some backbone after all." The original bully grinned. "Don't worry Dame-Tsuna," he said. "You won't be in denial for long." Tsuna's grip on his notebook tightened. "Because sooner or later your _mama_ is going to get tired of you, of your _uselessness_ , and you'll be all alone. Like you _should_ be."

 _I can't cry._

"And when that happens, I'm going to say," he paused for dramatic effect, "I told you so!"

Laughter. So much _laughter._ Jeering at him, _tearing him apart._ Piece by piece, little by little, _breaking him down._

 _I can't cry. I'm strong._

His notes lay on the floor in a pile with his other trashed belongings.

 _I won't cry. I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm-_

 _I'm… strong, right?_

* * *

"Welcome home, Tsu-kun!"

Tsuna smiled meekly at his mother.

"I'm home," he said. He swiftly bypassed her, heading towards the stairs.

"I heard you had a test today," she said. Tsuna gulped. "Can I see it?"

He nodded, reluctantly. He reached into his bag and pulled out a paper littered with red marks. Nana looked at the paper, the failed test, and smiled at him. But he could see it. He could see the concoction of feelings being tightly held back by her mask.

 _Disappointment. Pain. Despair._

She smiled at him. At her useless son. "It's okay," she said in her false cheerful voice. "Next time you'll do better! I'm sure of it!"

 _But what if I don't?_

"Maybe if you study a bit harder, then…"

 _But what if I can't?_

"Tsu-kun. Just know that mama isn't disappointed in you."

 _But you are._

Tsuna smiled. "Thanks mama!" He ran up the stairs to his room. He opened the door, and walked in. Taking out his notes, ruined from the bullies, he sat down at his desk and _tried. He really did._

But when your notes were completely trashed, and they weren't taken very well to begin with, it was kind of hard. Scratch that, _impossible._

 _I don't even know how to write notes! Nobody will show me! And they always toss paper balls at me in class, and the teacher won't help me._

 _And mama… She… She's depending on me. I can't stand to see her so disappointed. So_ broken.

He was such a useless son.

But he wouldn't cry. Because he was strong.

 _Probably._

* * *

 _That night Tsuna had a dream. A dream that he was being eaten. The sharp teeth would dig into his skin, ripping it from his bones. His blood pooled around him in beautiful crimson puddles. Disturbing._

 _But what stood out to him, above all the agonizing pain, was a voice._

" _You're weak," it said. "And the strong will devour the weak."_

 _The sounds of his bones crunching under the pressure of the beast's jaws resounded in his head._

 _Crunch._

 _Crack._

 _Snap._

" _You're weak." The voice was surprisingly clear above the cacophony of grotesque sound effects._

 _The jaws of the beast wrapped around his head. The saliva covered his face, as it waited. It was a tormenting type of fun. It was waiting… taking its time. Drilling a hope into him that he could still live. He was still alive._

 _The voice spoke to him in a chilling tone, close to his ear, "Nobody needs you." It laughed, void of emotion. "You're useless. But you already knew that, didn't you?"_

 _Then the teeth pierced his skull in one swift movement._

 _Tsuna woke up in a cold sweat, thinking of how true, how fitting, those words were._

 _He was being devoured for his weakness. And he couldn't do anything about it._

 _But Tsuna was also strong, so he wouldn't cry._

* * *

Author's note:

I hate to ruin the ending with an author's note, but should I change the genre? There's still going to be humor/friendship themes, but the flashbacks will be kind of... _depressing_ for a while. Not for too long though! Things will get better for our little Tsuna! After all, present Tsuna is doing well~

So about 2-3 more angsty chaps I guess. And I updated the pairings~! I already knew who I wanted them to be, but I wanted to introduce them first. So there will be a little romance (VERY little) here and there for R27 (Reborn/Tsuna) and 6927 (Mukuro/Tsuna)!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:** _All Alone_

* * *

Story: Nine Years

Written by: latenightfangirl

Summary: _Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails. AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing  
_

Disclaimer: **I don't own Katekyou Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does!**

 _Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

A punch to the face. A kick to the abdomen. Tossed aside, pushed around, and once again a hit to the solar plexus. Repeat, repeat, _repeat._

The laughing. The jeering, the humiliation… The pain, pain, _pain._

He's fine. He's okay. It doesn't hurt. _It doesn't hurt._

Notes lay in the mud surrounded by broken belongings. Tsuna reached into the mess and tried to find anything salvageable. _Nothing… Again._

He gave up and withdrew his hand. His bruised, bloody hand. His stupid, _useless_ hand.

 _I'm weak._

 _I'm weak, weak, weak._

But Tsuna wouldn't cry… He could be that strong at least. Strong for his mom. His broken mom and her disappointed glances. The one he fought so hard for… But could she see that?

* * *

"I'm home." Tsuna took off his shoes and placed them on the mat. They were caked in dirt, ruined from the day to day bullying.

"Oh… Tsu-kun. It's just _you,_ " Nana said. "I thought maybe-, maybe your father had…" She drawled off into a thick silence. The atmosphere was awkward between the two. Then she remembered. "How about your… Test?" There was a tiny gleam of hope in her eyes. How she held onto this hope for a whole year of failed tests, Tsuna wasn't sure.

That gleam of hope disintegrated as he passed her the test. She eyed it tiredly. _Tired. She looks so tired. Tired of him, tired of his uselessness, tired of-_

Tsuna smiled at her. She smiled back. Her smile was so _fake._ Is that what his looked like? Did he look fake too? He didn't want that. No, he wanted to smile brightly. So brightly that maybe, _just maybe,_ it could be contagious and she could be happy too.

 _But it was so hard. So hard to push away all his pain and sadness._

But he could do it. He was strong, in this way, at least.

He smiled at her with all his remaining happiness. With every piece of positivity in his body. He gave her what was left of him.

Nana winced. She handed him back the test with her mask plastered on. It had chipped over the years, her true emotions leaking out of it now. She was disappointed. It wasn't surprising.

"Maybe… Next time," she said. But that hope couldn't be retrieved. There was no chance of him passing the next test. There was no point in even trying.

She left to take care of her house cleaning, maybe talk to the neighbors. Nana just couldn't face her son. She simply _could not._

Tsuna knew this. So he let her avoid him. He let her run from her problems. He let her run from _him. He_ was her problem. Her _useless_ son.

But he wouldn't cry about it. He was strong. He was strong for her.

Strong for the woman who he gave his remaining happiness… which she discarded carelessly?

* * *

That night Tsuna didn't eat dinner. He didn't mention it to Nana. He didn't mention that she had _forgotten to feed him._

Tsuna's stomach growled as he laid in bed. He was so _hungry._ But he couldn't be angry at his mom- _no longer mama, he couldn't call her that now, now that he was older-_ nor could he hate her.

He loved her. Hate was something he would not hold for a person.

She had just forgotten. That wasn't something to be angry over, or hate for. No, he was sure that his mama- _mom,_ he corrected, would surely remember next time.

" _Maybe… Next time,"_ echoed in his head.

* * *

"Hey, Dame-Tsuna," the bully said. Tsuna was quiet. He spit on Tsuna's face. "Respond when someone talks to you, _idiot_."

Tsuna opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. His throat was a dark purplish-blue.

 _It hurts. It hurts so much._

"You deaf?" He stepped on Tsuna's hand, eliciting a horrifying _crunch._ A mute scream escaped from Tsuna's mouth.

 _My throat hurts. My hand hurts. My whole body hurts. Somebody please-_

A kick to the stomach interrupted his thoughts. Pain blossomed anew over the previously-bruised area. Gritting his teeth, Tsuna stopped the flow of tears before they could caress his cheeks.

 _I won't cry._

What had changed in a year? They used to not do this. Why were they so cruel to him? _Why? Why him?_ Why did nobody help him? Why hasn't anyone stopped them yet? _Why?_

Tsuna whimpered. The group laughed.

"Look! He's begging us to stop! Pitiful!"

"He really is useless!"

"What a waste of space."

"Worthless."

"Disgusting."

"Not even worth pitying," they said. They _laughed. It was the laughter again. God, make them stop! Just make them stop!_

Tsuna, unable to take it anymore, passed out. He would rather sleep and wake up with a new array of injuries than listen to their words of scorn.

Sleep sounded like a great idea.

* * *

"I'm home," Tsuna rasped. No reply. "Mom?" He coughed, his throat throbbing in pain. Still no answer.

Tsuna made his way to his room, somehow, and began to treat his wounds. He had injuries from the constant bullying which always stayed fresh, some older injuries that had been reopened from a kidnapping that went a little worse than usual, and not to mention he was _starving._

He had been given no breakfast since Nana had 'forgot'. _"Sorry, Tsu-kun,"_ she had said. He didn't mention anything when she didn't hand him a lunch. It didn't matter anyways. The bullies would have gotten to it first.

"Ow," he said, cleaning the last wound.

 _Bandaging all of this is going to take a while._

He looked like a mummy. Not really. Most of the serious injuries were under his clothing, and the minor ones were just a few bandaids on his face, hands, and arms. But his throat was another story. It was wrapped and treated the best he could manage, but he couldn't let it get injured again.

Now, he stared at his current predicament.

His _attempt_ at cooking looked, well, completely and utterly _inedible._ It was burned black and was emitting noxious fumes. Tsuna would have stepped back, but he was currently standing on a stool so he could reach the counter. _Why did he have to be so short?!_

His stomach growled. Tsuna looked at the food. He looked at his stomach. He looked at the food again. His stomach growled once more.

Tsuna sighed.

* * *

…

"Tsu-ku-, _Tsuna_ ,"she corrected, "I noticed that you've been making your own food lately." She gave her sickeningly sweet smile. "And I've been thinking," she began, "since you can't get a job yet, I'll give you the portion of our money that would be used to buy the groceries for your food so you can start shopping for ingredients."

Tsuna smiled at her. She smiled back. "Okay," he replied.

Nana smiled. This time, it was a bit more sincere. Tsuna wasn't sure why.

"You'll have to spend it wisely," she chastised, waving her finger in the air. "Otherwise you won't have anything to eat!"

Tsuna nodded, his caramel locks bouncing from the inertia. He was smiling, but his eyes held a deep, soul-ingrained sadness.

"Alright," he said.

* * *

 _Pain. All he felt was pain. He had grown used to it now._

 _Someone will save him._

 _No one will save him._

 _He won't cry. He can't cry. He was strong. He would be strong for his mama. His mama? Or was it mom?_

 _Mama._

 _Mom._

 _Aren't they the same thing?_

 _He would be strong for mama._

" _But she doesn't need you," the voice said._

 _He would be strong for mom, then._

" _But she doesn't want you," it said._

 _Then who should I be strong for?_

 _Mama, mom. Mom, mama._

…

 _They aren't the same thing._

* * *

"F-four?"

The class burst into laughter. He had gotten the question wrong. It was so easy, too! But of course he would. He is Dame-Tsuna, after all.

Tsuna sat back down in his seat. A paper ball hit the back of his head. Someone laughed. _Whispering._

About him probably _._

He sunk further into his seat. His face was beet red. It was embarrassing to mess up, even for Dame-Tsuna.

But there was more important things to worry about. Like the bullies that were surely waiting for him after school, the kidnappers that had yet to make their move, or the dinner he hasn't made yet.

Life really loved Tsuna, didn't it?


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:** _Happy Birthday_

* * *

Tsuna knew things he shouldn't. He knew when someone was lying, he knew what people felt, whether they were a good person or not, when to dodge, and he _especially_ knew when something bad was going to happen.

He wasn't sure why, or how, for that matter, he knew. He just did. Call it a gut feeling, a good guess, heightened observation, _intuition._

But sometimes it wasn't easy to understand. It was tug in his chest, a shiver down his spine, a rush of adrenaline, an automatic reflex, or a whisper in his ear that only he could hear. Telling him secrets, secrets he shouldn't know. Secrets he didn't always _want_ to know.

But it was there. He could ignore it as much as he pleased. But he learned, he _knew_ , to trust it. It wouldn't lie to him. _It was always right._

And that's what scared Tsuna the most.

He was useless. _Dame-Tsuna._ He shouldn't know anything, so _why?_ Why him? But the tug, the feeling, _the voice-_ it never answered. No, not that question. It never seemed to tell him what he wanted to hear.

But Tsuna was used to that. It was okay. He didn't mind.

' _But it's not okay,'_ it would say. Tsuna didn't want to hear that. He wanted to believe, _to delude,_ that maybe- just maybe everything was okay.

Maybe. Just maybe.

But Tsuna never got his way. Things were always trouble, trouble, _trouble._

Like the bags he was hauling down the streets of Namimori. _Trouble._

 _Annoying, heavy, excess baggage pulling him down._

But not unnecessary. No, unlike him, the _useless waste of space that should just disappear-_ they were necessary. He needed these bags, these groceries. They were his food. His dinner still not yet cooked, not yet prepared. A heavy baggage that pulls you down, a bag of ingredients. They still need to be cleaned, prepared, and cooked. Tsuna was like them- _maybe, just maybe-_ a baggage that pulls the others down. Feels so unnecessary, so heavy on your shoulders. Slowing you down, making you work harder to get to your goal. But if he was just given the time he needed, he could be prepared, cooked, and made into a nice dinner.

Something useful.

But these were just the rambling notions of a useless eight year old. A very, _very,_ useless eight year old. A tired, exhausted, overworked Sawada Tsunayoshi, to be exact.

A break sounded nice. _Very_ nice.

Tsuna stopped walking, _if you could call that turtle-paced, self-dragging walking,_ and repositioned the straps of the bags. They were gnawing at the skin, and it was becoming _painful._ Mostly because they were situated right on top of his most recent bruisings.

 _Beating, thrashing, stifled yelps-_

No, he shouldn't think about that, not right now.

A shop. An odd little antique store. _Unfamiliar._ Tsuna's mind was satisfied with the subject change. Think about something else, something else, something other than that. Get it out of your head. Forget, _forget,_ just _think_ like a normal person, Tsuna!

Unfamiliar. That's right. But how? He's been down this road enough times to have memorized each passerby individually. Although the weight weighing him down hasn't lightened much. But how could he have missed this? He was tempted to go in… But he also had the groceries. Maybe- no. But- _no._

 _Too bad._

His feet had moved on their own, but Tsuna knew better. He _knew_ that his feet hadn't moved on their own, nope, that _intuition, that voice, that goddamn feeling did it. It better have a good reason, too._

Oh, it did. A great reason, actually.

* * *

Tsuna, and his hoard of grocery bags, _somehow, someway,_ made it through the front door. He looked like- _no, was-_ a big cluster of white, rustling bags.

Kawahira, noticing this, helped the poor boy set down the load and gave him time to catch his breath. Once he thought that Tsuna was breathing normally again, _since he had been suffocating under that mountain of groceries,_ he did what any gentlemen should do. He introduced himself.

"My name is Kawahira," he began, "and you are?"

' _More than he seems,'_ it whispered. _'But a good person. For the better of the world, sad, sad, he doesn't want to-'_

Tsuna blinked his big doe eyes once, twice. "S-Sawada Tsu-Tsunayoshi," he stuttered.

The man, Tsuna presumed him to be the owner, smiled kindly. No warning bells. It was sincere. Sincere? Since when did anyone smile sincerely at him, Dame-Tsuna? His mother's smiles clouded his thoughts. No, those weren't sincere. False, fake, _broken._ That's what they were. Forced. Gone. When had he last seen her smile at him? Heard her voice?

 _Too long…_

Tsuna smiled back at Kawahira. Kawahira-san? Tsuna wasn't sure. Technically he was a stranger, and older than him, so Kawahira-san is what he should refer to him as. But he seemed nice, so maybe- no, he didn't want to ruin this. This could be his chance to make a friend.

Kawahira laughed gingerly at the small boy. His determination was not to be trifled with. Tsuna blushed, his shyness showing through. Then he remembered.

"U-um," he said, breaking the surprisingly comfortable silence between the two. "Y-you c-ca-can call me T-Tsuna." Then he speedily tacked on in a jumble, "B-but only if you want to!" He squeaked and shut his eyes. Tightly.

"Of course, Tsuna," he said. "Or would you rather Tsuna-kun?"

"No!" Tsuna covered his mouth. He didn't mean to yell! But he really wanted to be friends with the nice man, even though he _knew_ there was also something he was hiding. But Tsuna-kun was just too formal. "Tsu-Tsuna's just fine," he reassured.

"Then Tsuna it is," he said. "Would you like some tea? I was just about to brew some."

Tsuna shook his head, his short caramel hair flinging side to side. "N-no, I, u-uh- I don't want t-to be rude."

Kawahira laughed once more. "It wouldn't be rude at all," he said. "I was offering, after all."

Thinking it wouldn't be such a bad idea, Tsuna decided to go along with it. The nudge in his chest seemed to agree, telling him, _'stay here. Happy, happy,'_ followed by a chorus of other broken sentences.

That's how the voice always spoke to him, which was one of the reasons he didn't always understand it. Eventually it would make sense, though. Eventually.

* * *

Over time, visiting Kawahira's shop became a regular phenomenon. School, bullying, his mother doing her own thing, more bullying, the less frequent kidnapping, even _more_ bullying, then finally the weekend where Tsuna could go shopping and just _relax._ Kawahira was an understanding person, cultivated from his many years of experience, and knew as soon as he looked into Tsuna's eyes of his underlying suffering.

He listened when Tsuna was willing to talk, which released a burden he never realized was placed on him. He felt lighter and just overall _better._ They spoke about everyday topics to just basking in the silence between them. Tsuna never once found himself uncomfortable. It was a miracle to him. Someone willing to listen to him, some who actually _cared._ He couldn't thank Kawahira enough.

So when Tsuna's birthday rolled around and he was expecting a normal day like any other, _that's_ when he felt that, yes, he would _never, ever_ be able to thank Kawahira enough. Because that surprise was one worth having.

Tsuna wasn't sure when he began expecting the worst. It just worked itself into his thought process.

 _You're useless, so nobody will like you._

 _You're Dame-Tsuna, so of course you can't do anything right._

 _You can't have friends. You can't be happy. You can't have anything good happen to you. No gifts, no presents, no good will- it's all a farce. They're faking it. They want to trick you. No one would be nice to Dame-Tsuna. You're useless, useless, so goddamn_ useless _._

 _When did I begin thinking like that?_

 _Is all of that true?_

…

 _No, it can't be. Because Kawahira-san is kind to me. And I_ know _it's not fake. He's even gone through the trouble of celebrating my birthday. If I really was worthless then he wouldn't have done this for me. Calling myself useless would be the same as insulting him._

 _And I can't do that. I won't._

Kawahira just grinned at Tsuna's resolve. So pure for someone who's been through _so much_ … he's truly one strong boy.

 _Maybe… Just maybe,_ no, he couldn't burden this boy with the world's troubles.

But was that really what stopped Kawahira from telling Tsuna? Or was it for a more selfish reason? Was he scared that Tsuna would hate him?

Maybe. Maybe he was.

But that was for another time. It was his birthday after all. The boy, Tsuna, should be happy at least on _this_ day.

Kawahira, shaken from his thoughts, smiled his brightest smile yet at the innocent yet _strong_ boy.

"Happy ninth birthday, Tsuna."

* * *

Author's note:

...

Seriously sorry. Updates may be slow.

I've been sick for the past week (still am) and the week before that I had some medical issues. It's been hard to write/concentrate because of that. Hopefully I can get the next chapter started soon... we'll be going back to the present hehe. More flashbacks will come later~

Please tell me if the you think anything should be fixed or if the chapter isn't any good~


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:** _Acquaintances_

* * *

"Reborn, I can explain."

Said infant _almost_ huffed. _Almost._ The feared and 'almighty' Reborn almost stooped so low as to _huffing_.

"Save it for later, I have _urgent_ business to attend to-," Reborn's hand twitched towards one of his hidden guns. "Shamal," he scolded, "get back over here. You can go 'lady hunting' later."

Trident Shamal scowled. It was always a good time to hit on ladies in his book. But he also knew not to trifle with the sun arcobaleno. So, abandoning the lovely lady he had met in favor of not being _brutally murdered_ \- he stalked his way back to the two patiently waiting for him.

Back to what was happening. Shamal had just 'appeared' at Tsuna's doorstep that morning and Reborn had been the one to answer the door. Of course, this did not bode well for Tsuna. More explanations, he had thought, but from the looks of it, it wasn't going to go that way.

"Reborn… You don't want me to explain?" Tsuna was truly puzzled over this. He had prepared to use his plan- that is, to _persuade_ Reborn into finding it out himself by putting his pride on the line (which had been working well the last couple of times, surprisingly). But no, Reborn took the initiative and outright denied an explanation. _I guess that's one point for Reborn for surprising me… However I'm still in the league kufufu- God damn it Mukuro, I don't want your gosh darn laugh rubbing off on me too._ Tsuna sighed.

 _Did he just sigh?_ Reborn shook his head minutely. He had more important things to worry about. For example, how did Tsuna know _Shamal?_ How many people did his student know? _This will be fun._ But to find out how he knows all these people- Reborn isn't even sure _just_ how many people (specifically mafia-related) he is acquainted with. He'll have to start from the beginning and begin researching there if he wants to get the upper hand. He won't let his student, Tsuna, get the better of him. He isn't stupid. He knows Tsuna has been playing him- and just for the _fun of it._ Oh, he'll see. He'll learn not to mess with the world's greatest hitman.

"I won't repeat myself, Baka-Tsuna." Tsuna opened his mouth to retort but Reborn was quicker. _"Don't you even dare."_ Tsuna promptly shut his mouth. "I'm going to make a phone call to a certain _idiot_ ," Reborn said, "and I'm going to get this all settled out."

Tsuna pouted. If Reborn found out now, he wouldn't be able to have fun anymore. He probably wouldn't find _everything-_ maybe just the groundbreaking stuff. The good stuff. Ah, he wanted to see his reaction to that too, though~

Well, maybe he still had a chance. He _did_ have a lot of tricks up his sleeve, after all.

"Fine," he said. "Shamal, back to why I called you here."

Shamal perked up. Finally, he was being included in the conversation. How could they just forget about him like that?

"Yes? I'd be glad to help you Tsuna," he suavely replied. He is a gentleman, all in all, and gentlemen are _always_ elegant in every manner. Reborn would have scoffed at this if it had been stated aloud. _Elegant, my ass._ Reborn had an image to maintain, however, unlike some _perverted_ doctor. Speaking of which, why was he acting polite to Tsuna, a boy?

Tsuna beamed at Shamal and his shoulders relaxed. Since when had they become so stiff? "Well, there's this girl," this caught Shamal's attention, "and she was in an accident. She has no organ donors and her family is," Tsuna looked for the right words, but Shamal understood.

"You don't have to explain any more," he said. "What's her condition as of right now?" His gaze was fixed sharply on Tsuna, who stood blocking the doorway. Reborn, still in their company, listened carefully. This was information, and he wasn't going to pass it up. That idiot can wait a minute or two. But what Reborn hadn't been expecting, was that as soon as Tsuna opened his mouth, loads of medical jargon would come spewing out. Reborn could understand more of it than the normal person, being as great as he is, but quite a few bits passed over his head.

Tsuna knew that from the look on Reborn's face, or the _lack_ of one, he had yet again caught Reborn by surprise. Even through his mask of indifference, he _knew,_ because his intuition was _never_ wrong.

* * *

…

" _Hello?"_

"Iemitsu _," Reborn hissed._

 _Iemitsu swallowed heavily, his throat gone dry._

" _What do you want this time, Reborn?"_

" _First, I want to speak with Oregano later," he said in perfect Italian. "Second," Iemitsu's blood ran cold, "I want to talk to you about_ Tsuna _."_

" _My Tuna-fish? What happened? Is he okay?"_

" _Shut up and let me finish."_

"…"

" _Like I tried to explain to you before," Reborn seethed, "your son is more than he seems. He knows_ Shamal _of all people, and has_ secrets _."_

" _You're overreacting Reborn! It's probably just a coincidence. My Tuna-fish is a good, sweet boy! He doesn't keep anything from his Papa."_

 _Reborn gritted his teeth. "You clearly don't seem to know your own son," he said. "Have you even seen him? He has blonde hair, unlike what you told me. Nothing you told me was right. He looks exactly like Primo-,"_

" _Oh, my boy has blonde hair? I wonder if he's joined a sports team? That's my boy, just like his father, so energetic. My sweet Nana must be so proud~"_

" _Speaking of your wife, I haven't seen her once since I've been here," Reborn added._

" _What?"_

" _I'm not going to repeat myself, Baka-Mitsu."_

" _Is Nana okay? Where is she? Has something happened?"_

" _Quit your whining. Tsuna told me that she was visiting her family."_

" _Oh, thank goodness," Iemitsu let out the breath he had unknowingly been holding. "But why didn't she say anything to me?"_

" _You're never here, that's why."_

 _Iemitsu was quiet once more._

" _I need all the information you have on Sawada Tsunayoshi, and especially the Vongola bodyguards that were assigned to him," Reborn continued, brashly._

" _What? I thought I told you my son-,"_

" _Do it."_

" _Fine, whatever you say."_

" _Good."_

" _But I can't give you anything on bodyguards," Iemitsu said. He continued before Reborn could snap at him again. "Because there never were any."_

"What _?"_

* * *

 _It hurts. I can't breathe… It hurts so much… So much pain… I'm suffocating. I'm caving in on myself. I feel empty. I'm missing something. What am I missing? I can feel it. I can feel a gaping hole where- where what was supposed to be? My organs? Why are my organs gone?_

 _And my eye. My eye. Where is it? It's empty- empty, empty,_ empty. _Pain, lot's of pain. Was it removed? Why? Why me?_

 _The pain, the pain, make it stop- oh god make it stop! Please!_

 _I need to think. Get my mind off this agony. Mind? What about Mukuro-sama? Where are you? I need you, Mukuro-sama…_

 _I'm so alone…_

 _It's too quiet… The beeping… Is that my heart rate? Is this a hospital? Why am I-_

 _Beeping. A horn. A car horn._

 _The concrete. A street. Cars._

 _Pain. Lots of pain. A crash. A car. Blood. My blood. It was everywhere. Screaming. Sirens._

 _Blackness._

 _And the silence again._

 _I was hit by a car._

 _That's right. And I remember… Mom… And Dad… They… I remember them talking with the doctor… How long ago was that? It feels like it's been years… I'm in so much pain…_

 _What did they say? No, I don't want to remember. I know what they said._

 _I'm going to die here._

 _They don't have any donors._

 _I'm going to die. Alone._

…

 _Mukuro-sama…_

 _It's too quiet here…_

* * *

Shamal and Tsuna had arrived at the hospital, without Reborn, who had left to 'retrieve some important documents'.

Once the coast was clear, meaning Reborn was far out of hearing range, Shamal spoke up. "Tsuna," he said, "you're perfectly capable of helping this girl, so why did you call me out here?"

Tsuna focused his eyes on anything but Shamal. "Hmm, a few reasons, I guess."

"And don't even try to use the excuse of 'I'm just a kid, they wouldn't dare let me go anywhere near their equipment,' because I was _there_ when you got your doctor's license. _Illegal or not._ "

Tsuna closed his eyes and let out a light hearted laugh. "Yes, I know," he said reassuringly. "I already have the donor organs prepared, which was easy with all of my friends just _dying_ to give me a hand." Shamal sweat dropped. "But not only would it be easier to have a doctor that's of a reasonable age, I also wanted to see you. It's been a long time, and I'm lonely~"

"If you were lonely, you could have just said so and Byakuran would have immediately appeared like the demon spawn he is."

Tsuna feigned appall. "That's rude, sensei!" Tsuna's eyes widened. _Slip of the tongue…_

Shamal snickered. "It's true, though." Tsuna joined in, although he felt bad for laughing at Byakuran.

"Speaking of Byakuran," Tsuna began.

"I don't want to hear it."

"You sure?"

"…"

Tsuna sighed. _Again._ "I'll tell you then. He's supposed to be dropping by-,"

"But you don't know when."

Tsuna gave Shamal the _look. Seriously? You're just going to cut me off like that?_ "Yea," he said, miffed. "More importantly, let's take care of business. That's why we're here, isn't it?"

Shamal nodded, facing the hospital doors solemnly.

* * *

"… _gi…"_

 _I can hear something…_

" _Na…gi…"_

 _Who is it?_

" _...Nagi."_

 _I know that voice. I would know it anywhere._

 _Mukuro-sama._

" _Nagi, how are you feeling?"_

 _How am I feeling? That's right. I… I was hit by a car. But… It doesn't hurt?_

 _Am I dead?_

" _Kufufu, you're not dead, dear Nagi."_

 _Then…_

" _You're alive and well. My lovely Tuna-chan helped you. You're going to be fine."_

 _I'm… going to live? I'm not going to die? I'm… not going to die._

 _I'm not going to die._

" _Kufufufu, Nagi, when you wake up, my friend will be there. You can trust him."_

 _Mukuro-sama's… friend?_

" _Yes, dear Nagi. But he's also my sky."_

 _Sky? So this is who Mukuro-sama is the Mist Guardian to._

 _Mukuro-sama's… boss?_

 _Mukuro-sama's boss… is also my boss._

" _Kufufufu, I think he'll be pleased to hear that."_

 _Boss._

 _I can't wait to meet boss._

 _Another friend._

" _Nagi…"_

" _Yes, Mukuro-sama?"_

" _I have a gift for you."_

 _A gift? For me?_

" _Yes, a gift…"_

 _A gift for me… I… I feel so warm inside just thinking about it._

" _What… kind of gift?"_

" _A name."_

" _A name?"_

" _Yes… a new name for you."_

 _A name for me… from Mukuro-sama… I'll definitely treasure it._

" _The name is…"_

 _Chrome Dokuro._

* * *

 **Author's note: _  
_**

The day has finally come! Over 100 followers!

I'm... _sniffle_... not gonna cry... _sniffle_... WAAAAAAAHH I LOVE YOU GUYS! (disgusting crying noises)

Oh, and last chapter I forgot to add the disclaimer... I feel so stupid! I'm just going to leave it out from now on since it's too much trouble, unless you guys specifically ask me to add it (I doubt that).

BUT OH MY GOD THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH! ALL OF YOU DESERVE MARSHMALLOWS. ALL OF YOU. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. YOU. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS, THEY KEEP ME FROM BEING LAZY AND NOT WRITING. AND TO ALL THE GUEST REVIEWERS AND PEOPLE I DIDN'T REPLY TO, THANK YOU SO MUCH! _/I need to shut up now..._

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully I can get the next chapter out soon!

And you probably noticed the weird relationship/behavior between Tsuna and Gokudera. You're probably thinking, "Oh my god, so OOC! Like, wth author!". Well, this is an AU, as mentioned earlier, and everything shall be explained later on! Have a nice day~!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:** _Friends and Sort-of Friends_

* * *

"Hibari is going to kill us, you know that?" Takeshi laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, he would only be biting me to death if you hadn't had decided to skip school as well," Tsuna replied. He plopped a marshmallow into his mouth. Tsuna waved the bag in Takeshi's direction. "You sure you don't want any?"

Yamamoto cringed. "I'd rather not… last time Byakuran visited…" Tsuna put his hand on Takeshi's shoulder and nodded solemnly.

"I understand," he said. "It's humane just how many bags he can eat."

"You eat almost the same amount though!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Takeshi."

The swordsman and mafia don both looked each other in the eyes. They both grinned and began to laugh, only to be shushed by a passing nurse.

Takeshi was the first to speak. "So… do you think you can convince Hibari to let me off? I know you guys have some sort of deal going on."

Munching on another puff pensively, Tsuna replied, "Well he might…" He shuddered. _He'll probably demand more fights…_ "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Tsuna!" Takeshi wrapped his arm around Tsuna's shoulders. "Oh, that's right," he said in a hushed tone, "we have to be quiet or else we'll wake her up."

Tsuna's eyes landed on the girl fast asleep. She was connected to many machines keeping her stabilized, and was cocooned in a mass of white blankets. A peaceful look adorned her face, no longer a pained one.

"Yea, she's gonna need a good rest after what she went through."

* * *

Tsuna was not happy at the moment. He and Takeshi had left the hospital to get lunch when it had started.

A sinking feeling in his chest.

Something was going to happen. He wasn't sure _what_ , however, because his intuition was a little prick. Why can't it just tell him like a _normal person?!_ Oh wait. It wasn't a person. And it definitely wasn't normal… where was he getting with this?

Ah, yes, the nudge. It was getting worse every minute, as if he was in that horror movie with the aliens and he was watching the red dot on the tracker get closer… and closer, until his impending doom would pounce and go 'boom!'.

"Did you hear that explosion?"

"Wait, what?" Tsuna turned his head towards the direction Takeshi was motioning. What Tsuna saw was devastating. Why couldn't the explosion have just been in his head?

"Get back here you stupid cow!"

"No! Lambo-sama wants candy!"

"I'm supposed to be looking after you, now if you don't get back here I'm gonna…" Gokudera took out more dynamite. Lambo screamed and bolted off.

"Hayato that's not how you do it," Tsuna said, already forming a plan. "Lambo," Tsuna coaxed. The cow child peered up, teary eyed. "If you be a good boy and come here, I'll give you some candy."

Lambo squealed and jumped into Tsuna's waiting arms. Tsuna smirked at Gokudera. He had obviously won the boy's affections. The bomber clicked his tongue as he made his way over.

"Lambo-sama wants candy!" He wriggled in Tsuna's grasp. This made Tsuna laugh, while simultaneously pulling out his other bag of marshmallows. Lambo immediately tore into the bag and began devouring the containments. "Hmph," he said between mouthfuls of marshmallows, "they aren't as good as grape candy, but they will do for now. You can be Lambo-sama's henchman!" Gokudera snickered. Tsuna glared at him in response. "Sure, Lambo," he said.

"Hayato, why are you here?" Yamamoto patted Lambo's curly locks.

"That's none of your business, baseball idiot! And I told you not to call me by my first name," he fumed.

Yamamoto just laughed at his overblown reactions. "Tsuna calls you Hayato, so I should too!"

Gokudera gritted his teeth and turned towards Tsuna. "You too," he said.

"Aww Hayato's mad," Tsuna cooed.

"Hayato's mad, Hayato's mad," Lambo parroted.

"Not you too, stupid cow!"

"Gya-haha!"

Gokudera snarled.

"But why are you here, Hayato? Shamal already left." Tsuna gasped over-dramatically. "Unless… don't tell me he forgot you?" Gokudera's face was a fiery red. From embarrassment or anger, no one was quite sure. "Do you want us to take you to the lost and found children area? Do you?" Tsuna batted his big, innocent eyes at him.

Lambo and Takeshi were both giggling madly in the background. Tsuna was just barely keeping himself from doubling over. And Gokudera… well, he was ready to explode.

"You… You bastard!"

Tsuna tutted. "Watch your mouth Hayato, there are children listening."

Barely restraining himself, Hayato muttered, "Condescending little…"

"Maa, maa, guys… Let's get back on topic," Yamamoto proposed. It didn't help much in easing the tension between the two. "So Hayato," the silver head flinched, "why are you here, and why are you looking after, umm…"

"The great Lambo-sama!"

Takeshi laughed. "Yea, that!"

Scowling, he said, "The stupid pineapple head just dropped him off expecting _me_ to take care of him."

Tsuna and Yamamoto both sweat dropped. _As expected of him…_

"But then why are you here?" Tsuna asked.

"Apparently I'm transferring to Namimori middle school."

* * *

" _So Reborn actually found one of your guardians?"_

" _Yea… I was pretty surprised when I found out. It seems he had originally planned to have Hayato be my Storm Guardian, and it just worked out in his favor. Of course, he won't admit that."_

" _Kufufufu, you're still winning the game, however. Three to one."_

" _True… And why did you leave Lambo in Hayato's care? You must have had a reason."_

 _Mukuro smirked. "You know me well."_

" _Obviously."_

" _Kufufu… Dear Tuna-chan, you're so entertaining."_

"…"

 _Mukuro raised one eyebrow. "I left the child in his care since the lightning and storm should be close."_

" _Wait… You think he should be a guardian?"_

" _He has strong lighting flames, and has a resistance to lightning strikes, called 'Elettrico Cuoio'."_

" _But he's too young and you know that, Muku-,"_

" _He's a Bovino."_

" _What?"_

" _He has the ten year bazooka."_

" _Why didn't you tell me this earlier? What about the Bovino? Are they not looking for him?"_

" _When we found him he was alone, from what we've gathered he was put on a mission to kill Reborn."_

" _That's suicide."_

" _Exactly."_

 _Tsuna sighed. "He can stay at my house for now. I bet mom would love to meet him…"_

 _The air around Mukuro became tense._

" _Calm down," Tsuna said. "We worked things out a long time ago, you know that."_

" _It wasn't that long ago, Tsuna. And I don't think I'll ever forgive her fully."_

" _Mukuro…"_

"…"

 _Tsuna sighed again. Why was he sighing so much? He felt like an old man. So much happening in so little time… his life was always like that, though._

" _Speaking of guardians," Tsuna said, breaking the tension, "about the girl-,"_

" _Chrome."_

" _Yes, Chrome," wasn't it Nagi? "I was thinking that you two could share the Mist position." He stopped for a breath. "Since both of you have a psychic connection, and she's talented with Mist flames, you wouldn't mind would you?"_

" _Of course not. I had wanted to bring that to your attention as well."_

" _Good. That way I can still have a Mist Guardian when you're not around."_

" _You miss me that much? Kufufufu, you won't have to wait much longer Tsuna-chan~"_

" _And Chrome won't feel as lonely when while adjusting to her new home," Tsuna continued, ignoring Mukuro. "She'll probably wake up tomorrow…"_

" _Intuition?"_

 _Tsuna nodded. At least it was helpful sometimes._

* * *

 _Voices… I can hear people talking._

 _Who are they?_

 _Is it Mukuro-sama's friend? If it is, I should wake up and greet him._

"She's waking up!"

"I told you guys you were being too loud."

"It's your fault for bringing the stupid cow!"

"I'm not stupid, Aho-dera!"

"What'd you say," someone growled.

"Maa, maa, both of you calm down."

"Yea, be quiet Aho-dera."

"Yea, meanie! Gyupaa! Aho-dera's trying to hurt Lambo-sama!"

"Come here Lambo, I'll protect you from the big bully."

"What?!"

"Look! She's awake now!"

 _Which one is Mukuro's friend? There's more than one person. I don't even know what he's supposed to look like!_

"I think she's scared," the dark haired one with the bamboo sword said.

"No shit," the silver headed one replied.

The dirty-blonde spiky haired one scolded, "Hayato, language."

Hayato, the newly dubbed silver headed boy, clicked his tongue. "Like I care," he muttered.

The green eyed child in the cow suit just stared at me, wide-eyed. He was being held by the short, spiky haired one.

Said spiky haired boy held out his hand to me, _for a handshake?_

"It's nice to meet you," he said, with the voice of an angel. His entire being radiated a certain kindness, a complete and utter acceptance. Without realizing it I took his hand. "My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna."

 _His hand is so warm. It's… comforting._

 _Like a sky should be._

"My name is Chrome Dokuro," I say, my voice shy and far too quiet, "boss."

His eyes widen and he splutters. "B-boss?" He says, stuttering.

 _Did I do something wrong? Was I not supposed to say that?_

"Pfft," my eyes land on Hayato, "boss?" He begins to grip at his stomach from the laughter.

"Quit laughing, Hayato!"

"Why's Aho-dera laughing?" The cow child curiously looks for an answer.

The swordsman speaks up, "Because Tsuna lost his cool and stuttered."

"He made himself look like an idiot after trying to impress her!"

"Shut up, Hayato! I wasn't trying to impress her, just make her feel less nervous!"

 _Boss was trying to comfort me?_

The cow child, still confused, ignores the two bickering with each other and leaves Boss' arms. He jumps onto my lap in the hospital bed and looks at me.

"Lambo-sama will make you feel better!" He proclaimed. I smiled at him.

 _What a cute kid. They're all trying to make me feel better… I… I'm so grateful…_

"T-thank you all so much," I say.

"You don't need to thank us," boss says, "we're family now."

 _Family._

 _I have a family now._

 _Thank you, Mukuro-sama._

…

 _Thanks, boss._


End file.
